Vibration-recorder for automobiles and other vehicles.



Ls. PHELPS. VIBRATION RECORDER FOR AUTOMOBILES AND OTHER VEHICLES.

APPLIGATION FILED AUG. 24, 1906.

1,001,220. Patented' Aug. 22, 1911.

EDWIN SANFORD PIIELPS, 0F NEW YORK, Y.

'VIIBRATION-R151,GOIR'IDFLR'A FOR AUTOMOBILES AND OTHER VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 22, 191i.`

. Application led August24, 1906. Serial No. 331,916.

to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference-being had to the accompanying drawings, and -to the letters and figures of reference marked'thereon, which form a partfof this specification.

My invention relates to a device 4for automatically recording the running or movements of conveyances or vehicles by actuation of the recording means from vibrations of the conveyance or' vehicle during the period it is in use.

The object of the invention is to provide a recording member sensitive to the vibrations of the conveyance or lvehicle so as to make the record; also to provide for indicating whether theyrecording device has been tampered with for the purpose of preventing it making its automatic record; also lto provide for making a record of access to the operative parts by unauthorized persons.

The device is specially well adapted for affording the owners of automobiles protection against the unauthorized use of the vehicle, since it will furnish a record indicating the ,use of the same, and the period of its use, as wellas a record of access to ythe operative parts if such be had at any time. It also aords a removable record 'dial which need not be examined or replaced by another oftener than 'once a week unless lsooner desired, thus giving to the owner seven days; 'and inthe meanwhile requiring no attention, and not being subject to or making necessary any act on the part of the chauffeur .to make `arrecord of the use or running of the machine.

Tothe accomplishment of the foregoing and suchj'other objects as may hereinafter appear the invention consists in the features hereinafter-particularly described and then sought to be clearly dened by the claims, reference being had to the accompanymg drawing forming a part hereof, and 111 whichd Figure 1 is afront elevation of the recorder with parts broken away; Fig. 2 is a vert1cal cross section through the casing wthy its internal mechanism in elevation; F/g. 3 is a detail plan view of parts; Fig. 4i a detail of the snail or cam for moving the vibrating arm, and Fig. 5 a front view` of the record-receiving dial, showing at one pomtthe irregular line made by the vibrating marking point.

In the drawing, the numeral 1 designates a casing containing suitable clock mechanism 2 which actuates a dial-plate 3, for

instance, through the pinion Limeshing with a gear wheel 5 andwith which turns a pinion 6 from which motion is transmitted through pinions 7 and 8 to a toothed wheel 9 which carries a snail 10. The dial-plate 3 is provided with a dial 11 divided preferably into concentric circles and divisions, representing days of the week and hours and fractions of hours. of any suitable material, and of. paper'having a surface sensitive to a marking point, or not as desired. An arm 12 rests upon the snail 10 and is connected to an arm 13, which preferably is bifurcated to receive the dial 11 between its two members, and it is This dial 'may be l capable of moving with the arm 12 so that A as the latter is moved by the snail a corresponding movement is'imparted to the' arm 13 across the divisions of the rotating dial. As no claim is made to the parts so far described and they may be varied without departing from the present invention, a more detailed description thereof is not necessary.

Supported from the arm 13 in any sultable manner so as to vibrate is a vibratory member 14 carrying a marker 15. In the form shown this member consists of an arm 16 loosely mounted at one end in a suitable support 17 so as to be free to move or vibrate under vibrations imparted thereto. The marker 15 carried by this vibratory memberpasses loosely through a collar 18 on the arm 13 and has its point against or in proximity to the face of the dial 11 so that when vibrated with the vibratory member it will mark the face of the dial. The member l14 carries a spring 19, preferably ,a coiled spring, which is sensitive to vibrations, and has at its end a weight 20. Vi-

brations of the weight derived from vibrations of the conveyance or vehicle to which the device Awill be attached will be transmitted through the spring to the vibratory member 14 and its marker so that the latter will mark the dial face during the travel or movement of the conveyance or body to which the device is attached. This makes a very sensitive vibratory member, as .the spring is capable of vibrating 1n a vertical as well as a horizontal plane or in planes at an angle to each other. Under some conditions it -is desirable to have the vibratory member carrying the marker require a stronger vibration to move 1t than under other conditions. `With the view of adJusting the vibrator to such differentconditi'ons, the member 14 is provided with an adjustable member, which for convenience will be termed a saddle 21 which saddle may be moved along the vibratory member by a nut 22 engaging screw Ithreads on the vibratory member. This saddle is connectedby springs 23 to asuitable part, for instance to' a bracket 24, which springs will be put under tension when/the adjusting -nut and saddle are moved toward the free end of the vibratory member. This lwill put the vibratory member under tension so that a stronger vibration will be required to move it than when the tension on it is less.

The casing 1 which contains the parts described is provided with a closure which in the form shownis a screw cap 25, made to vfit water-tight to the casing, This cap carries a tripper 26 so located with relation to a pin 27 projecting from the vibratory member 14 that when the cap. is turned in the direction to unscrew it, the tripper will contacttwith the pin 27 and move the vibrating member and its marker across the face of the dial, and thus make a mark on the dial which will be distinctive from the markings due to the vibrations of the marker, and thus indicate that access has been had or attempted to be had, to the operative parts of the device. Thus if any attempt be made to tamper with the recording mechanism indictation thereof will be made on the dial. This marking of the dial whether from the vibrations or from having or attempting to have access to the operative parts, is important whetherthe markings be made by perforations from the point of the marker, or otherwise from the character` of the marker employed. Under the particular means shown when the tripper acts on the finger of the vibrator it pushes the marker and the arm through which it works, toward and beyond the edge of the disk, and as the point of the marker will pass across the space between the two members of the arm 13, the pin will rest against the peripheral edge of the dial and thus prevent the parts from assuming their normal position until readjusted. This will insure an additional indication that the device` has been tampered with. However the throw of the tripper and pin may be less than to move the marker to the extreme edge of the dial, and yet the distinctive marking indicating tampering with the device will be made. While the tripper will thus move the marker in opening the cap, yet it will not so move it in screwing the cap into place because it will yield or give in passing over the pin so 4 as not to move the marker. The tripper is provided .with a spring 28 to restore it .to

Vits normal position after passing the pin in screwing the cap.

To guard against the closure or capbeing opened without'the use of a key, a lock 29 is provided. As illustrated it is attached to the casing 1 and preferably is of the Yale type and operated by a flat key 30. A lug or block 31 is attached to the screw cap or cover in such position as to lie against the bolt when thrown into locking position and thereby prevent the cap from being unsorewed.

The casing and its inclosed parts will be attached by a bolt or bolts 32 to the dashboard represented by 83`of the motor vehicle, or to other'suitable part of the body to which it is attached.

Under the construction described the dial is continuously moved by the time clock mechanism and the marker moved the distance of one space between the concentric lines in each revolution of the dial by reason of the snail cam acting on the arm resting thereon, and as there are seven concentric lines the dial serves for a whole week. Inasmuch as the casing is attached to the Vehicle or moving body, so long as the body is in motion the vibration resulting from its movement is imparted to the weighted spring and through it to the vibratory member and marker and the latter caused 'to make a record upon the dial, While no record will be made while the vehicle 0r body is not in motion. An inspection of the dial will consequently show the periods during which the machine was in use, and the concentric lines and divisions of the vdial will indicate the days ofthe week and the hours and fractionsy thereof, daypr night, during which the machine was used. The owner of the machine or vehicle is thus kept advised of the use of -his machine. If'an attempt is made to tamper with the record, he is also advised of that fact by the marking made on opening the capor cover, and is also advised whether a duplicate key has been obtained and used because the cover is locked and can only be opened by a duplicate key.

.Various checks are therefore placed upon 1t will be observed thaty the collar through which the marker plays serves to restrict they lateral vibrationsof' the marker so thatits markings will be on or adjacent to `concentric' lines of the record-receiving means or dial opposite to which for the time being f the marker is operating; otherwise the markings would be carried beyond suchy lines andthe particular day of the week'on which themarkings were made would not be so readily ascertainable. It will further be observed that if the marker be so set by `While. the vehicle is in motion.

proper adjustment of the tension regulating spring, .that its point will be normally out of contact with the record-receiving member, When the' vehicle is not in motion no mark Will be made upon the dial which will be continuously moved Whether the vehicle `is in motion o r not. In such case no marking will be made` upon the dial as illustrated except when the vehicle is in motion, at 'which time the vibrations will cause the marker to move to and from the dial so as to make a mark or record when it contacts with the dial. But the lmarker may be adjusted orv placed so as to be normally in ycontact with the dial, and in such case the marking on the dial would occur when the vehicle was not in motion as Well as When in motion, but when in motion the marking would be different from that when not in motion owing to the vibration of the marker In either case the lateral vibration of the marker will be restricted to Within prescribed limits by the/collar through Whichit operates for the reason already stated. It will be perceived that the marker has a vibration to and from theface of the dial as well as parallel there-v with, so that Whether in continuous or intermittent lcontact with the record-receiving member it makes a record thereon. *y It will be furtherv observed that the vibration derived bythe spring from the motion of the vehicle is transmitted from the spring to the marker, and that thel resiliency of the spring Imultiplies the vibrations so that the vibrations derived by the marker are more numerous, and the marker made tremulous in character and more sensitivel in action.

It Will be observed that While the marker has a movement parallel with the dial or record-receiving member yet said movement is restricted by the opening through which the marking point 15 operates so that its vibrations Will be conned Within the convolute area representing the particular day the record is made, thus preventing the record of one day encroaching upon the record of another day, or in other Words preventing overlapping of the records. When the vehicle is at rest the marker wlll make a continuous or unbroken line and when the vehicle is in motion the marker will make a transverse line, thus giving to record receiving member,

sprlng carried by said member for trans-l each convolution differentiating characteristics between motion and rest.

I have illustrated and described the pre- .,ferred' details of construction and arrangefment but Without any intention of limiting the invention thereto, as .the invention is more comprehensive as endeavored to be made clear by the 'scope of the appended claims.

The movement is not confined to being leither permanentlyattached or slidably removable fro'm its casing for purposes of wlnding and for changing the dials, but as these are features not involving invention and, merely suggestive of what may be done,

detailed illustration is necessary.

.Having described my invention and set forth its merits, What I claim is Lf- 1. In a vibration recorder, a vibratable marker capable of vibration in relation to a record-receiving member, and a weighted vibratable spring, capable of vibrating in planes at an angle to each other, connected with said marker for transmitting vibrations thereto, substantially as described.

. 2. In a vibration recorder, a vibratable marker capable of vibration in relation 'to a record-receiving member, and a vibratable spring capable of vibrating 1n planes at nu' mitting vibrations to said member and marker, and a Weight carried by said spring, substantially as described.

5. In a vibration recorder, a vibratable member carrying a marker vibratable in relation to a record-receiving member, a spring connected with rsaid member, and means for adjusting the tension of said spring to regulate'the resistance which said member shall oi'er to the` force of vibration ,to moveit, substantially as described.

6. In a vibration recorder, a vibratable membercarrying a marker vibratable 1n relation to a record-rece1v1ng member, a part ymovable lengthwise on said vibratable member, a spring connected With said part, and l means -for adjusting said part on the member ,to vary the tenslon'of the spring to regulate the resistance which said member shall offerto the force of vibration to move it, substantially as described.

7.'In a vibration recorder, a vibratable responsivel marker capable of free vibration parallel with the face of a record-receiving member to vibrations derived from a moving bo y, a casing in'closing the member and marker, a closure or cap to the casing, and means actuated from the closure or cap to make a record'of the movement of the cap or closure, substantially as described.

8. In a vibration recorder, a vibratable marker capable of free vibration parallel With the face of a record-receiving member,

-a casing inclosng said member and marker,

a closure or cap to the casing, a lock for the closure or cap, and means actuated from the closure or cap to make a record of the movement of the cap. or closure, substantially as described.

9. In a vibration recorder, a casing inclosing a record-receiving member and marker therefor, a screw cap to the casing, and a lock and a stop or lug for the lock-bolt to engage with, one being attached to the casing and the other to the screw cap, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

EDWIN SANFORD PH LPS.

Witnesses: v

P. OETJEN, LAURA E. SMITH. 

